Pitfalls of DIY Bed Bug Solutions

There are some pretty crazy stories of what people have gone through to get rid of bed bugs. There are few pests that will drive people to the edge of sanity like a bed bug will. Here are a few ideas you might want to steer clear of.

Vaseline

If someone tells you that smearing Vaseline all over the frame of your bed will stop bed bugs from crawling up, you need to know that this is not a real solution. While it is true that bed bugs will stick to Vaseline as they crawl up the bed to bite you, they can get at you in other ways. These bugs could already be in your mattress. And remember that bed bugs can crawl across your ceiling. That means they are capable of falling down onto your bed.

Putting traps under your bed posts

While putting bowls under your bed posts with something in them that kills bed bugs is a great way to kill some bugs, as mentioned above, it may be entirely ineffective at stopping the bites. Even if you have some success at keeping those bed bugs from biting you while you sleep, you need to know that bed bugs can bite you while you're fully awake. They can also bite you in other places, like on the couch or in a chair.

Rubbing alcohol

There are many things you can lay down on floors that will kill bed bugs, and rubbing alcohol is one of them. But not only has this solution caused one apartment complex to go up in flames, it is also entirely ineffective. Bed bugs are very resilient. They have been living with humans for centuries. They know how to avoid our attempts to kill them with poisonous things. All that alcohol is going to do--besides fill your home with poisonous and flammable fumes--is to drive bed bugs deep into your walls until the danger has passed or caused them to go around the areas of application.

Throwing out mattresses and furniture

It may sound strange, but some people get so traumatized by bed bugs--and trying to treat bed bugs--they resort to throwing out their furniture. But bed bugs don't just live in furniture. They can live in electronics, electrical outlets, wall voids, behind baseboards, under the edge of carpets, and more.

The Solution

If you're finding bed bugs in your home, call a professional like American Pest. You need an educated and experienced professional who can properly administer a heat treatment, apply EPA-approved insecticides in a safe manner, and use K-9 bed bug inspectors before and after to ensure that all those bed bugs are gone.

Don't let the bed bugs bite. Get rid of bed bugs with professional pest control and get your sanity back.